Thanks to technology and today’s relative ease of travel, the world is becoming smaller than ever. Far-reaching places are becoming more and more accessible, spurring on daydreams of travel, vacation, and exploration.

In turn, many of us are checking travel-related dreams off of our bucket lists. For a lot of explorers, that entails planning a trip to Africa. As we would for any trip, we plan extensively, crafting packing lists and itineraries, researching sightseeing opportunities, restaurants to enjoy, and places to play.

However, there are also some things that are specific to Africa that may help as you plan a trip, whether you’ll be perusing spice markets in Morocco or serving at an orphanage in Uganda. I’m sharing a few of those things with you, below.